Hero to Villain II
by withgirl
Summary: Following the S4 finale, Regina tries to put aside her feelings to do what has to be done, but can she face what the Dark One has in mind? This is a rewrite of my first fic and will have a more fleshed out storyline :) [Regina x Emma pairing]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey guys, this is a rewrite of my first fic which I wrote before the start of season five. The storyline may be slightly different as I incorporate some of the ideas from the show, but it will largely follow the same direction as the original did :)**

Chapter one

Regina raised the dagger and was about to speak the words she had dreaded since she had come up with this plan.

She honestly had no idea what to expect, but the newest Dark One had to know that she had people there for her before she descended fully into darkness. Despite her former issues with the blonde, they had formed the kind of friendship that she could have only dreamed about in her youth. Plus, not that she had quite admitted it to herself yet, but she had began developing new feelings towards the blonde during their time in the Hero and Villain's universe.

"Regina," Snow urged in an almost hollow voice.

It had been a few hours since the saviour had sacrificed herself to save the Evil Queen and nobody knew exactly what to do, it was almost as if the whole town had become stagnant. They didn't know who to turn to and most importantly, and most importantly they didn't know where Emma Swan had gone in that brilliant flurry of darkness.

With their daughter missing, the 'two idiots' were effectively useless, so Regina had to push her feelings aside and take charge of the situation. She had sent Robin to watch Henry and Roland and had all but threatened him that he shouldn't breathe a word of what had happened to her son. She had also made the decision that they should use the dagger to summon the blonde, they could control her if she wanted to hurt anyone and being in the woods would triply ensure the safety of the citizens of her town.

Considering how fast everything had moved when they had returned to Storybrooke, she didn't even have time to consider why she didn't care about her supposed 'True Love' marrying her sister in the alternate universe. All she could focus on in that moment was Emma fighting the 'Light One' and then the saviour being thrown aside while Rumple turned the blade on their son.

She had decided to file away the information away for later, but she had yet to have a quiet moment to mull over why it had bothered her so much when the saviour had been so eager to find that wretched pirate. Of course, then the blonde had sacrificed herself without another thought, knowing full well that the darkness would do far more damage to the queen's already severely blackened heart.

It would seem that the Charming's were infective, however, as she had considered that if anyone could achieve the impossible feat of overcoming the ultimate darkness, it would be the great and powerful saviour.

"Regina," Snow urged again, "are you ready?"

Regina took a deep breath and resisted the urge to return with a scathing reply, instead, she just held up the dagger and whispered, "I summon thee Dark One."

Nothing happened and she looked over at the desperate looks that each of the Charming's were wearing, swallowing hard, she looked away from them and thrust the dark metal into the air more forcefully, "Dark One, I summon thee!"

"Calm down, dearie, what is it you want?"

Silence fell over the clearing as each of the three stared at a particularly large tree where the sound had come from. The newest Dark One was clearly already very fond of manipulation and the use of her predecessor's favourite word and she smirked as she stepped out of the shadows.

A wail ripped through Snow White's throat as her daughter stepped into the light and her eyes raked over her new look.

Her child's hair seemed to have turned completely white and was slicked back into a ponytail. She was unusually pale and she was clothed in black leather head to toe. However, the biggest thing that she noticed was the eyes, the golden orbs that she felt were almost piercing her soul.

Emma crossed her arms and smirked at the trio, leaning against the tree, she said, "come on, your majesty, speak up, I don't have all the time in the world," she chuckled as she realised something and added, "well not literally…"

"Emma?" Regina managed to get out as she inspected her once light friend. Noting the changes, she found that she was unable to form coherent sentences, nor it seemed could the Charmings behind her, as they each stood behind her with their mouths' agape.

"Yes Madam Mayor?" the blonde smirked, pushing herself off the tree, she proceeded to invade her personal space. Regina held up the dagger as a kind of barrier and Emma ran her eyes over it distastefully as she felt herself unable to move forward, she narrowed her eyes and then began to look between Regina and her parents, "seriously, what do you want? This is getting boring…"

"We wanted to see how you are…" was Snow's meek reply after a long stretch of silence.

A laughed tore its way out of Emma's throat, but it wasn't the laugh that had cheered Regina up whenever she was sad, or the soft sound that made others smile. It was the laugh of a villain. Bitterly Regina remembered the many times she had heard her mother make that horrible noise while trying to teach how to act like a 'lady'. She remembered all of the times that she herself had made that noise while taunting or scheming; thankfully it wasn't quite as manic sounding as the previous Dark One's laugh had been.

"You want to see how I am?" Emma continued, the dagger forgotten Regina allowed her arm to fall limp at her side as she observed her. Without the obstruction of the Dark One's dagger Emma continued her forward path, towards her parents this time. "Did you ask that question when you put me through a wardrobe to God knows where? Did you wonder for a second whether you were truly giving me my 'best chance' when you sent me alone to this cruel, horrible world? What would you have done if I had died in that forest they found me in? I guess that wouldn't matter would it? You would have just carried on living your life as Mary Margaret, who let's face it, hardly had to fear anything in an apparently cursed town, where most foster children would have killed to live!"

Tears were streaming down both parents' faces as Emma's words hit them right where it hurt most, David managed to choke out, "Emma, p-please we're so sorry, we thought you forgave us."

This time the laugh could have easily rivalled any that had ever come out of Rumple's throat, "you idiots! You thought that I truly forgave you for what you did to me. I was raised to believe that no one could ever love me, and just as I got comfortable someone better would come along. Did you know that I was almost adopted five times, but each time they found someone younger, with less issues, so they just sent me back like it meant nothing to them, just another kid in the system. Then you two imbeciles come along expecting me to be able to love you, like just by giving me some DNA and a blanket that I am obligated to love you. Well I've got some news for you: I don't! I only started calling you mom and dad to make you happy. That's all I've been doing since I came to this town, making other people happy. Not once has someone tried to find me my happiness. And now I get to watch you raise your second, better child. Well I guess it's just easier, isn't it? Neal doesn't have any issues, his just a blank slate that can become the child that you always wished you'd have, instead of the screwed up one that you had to suck the darkness out of," anger filled her features as she walked straight up to Snow, plunging her hand into her chest and gripping her half-heart, "shame it didn't work, isn't it?"

Snow choked back a cry as Emma applied pressure to her heart and Charming gripped his chest, feeling the same amount of pain.

Suddenly the pain disappeared, and David looked up to find Regina holding the dagger directly in front of Emma's face.

"Go back to whence you came" Regina's shaky voice filled the clearing.

As her muscles tensed, Emma turned to her parents, "this isn't over" she stated just as she disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

With that Snow and Charming each collapsed to the ground, with heavy sobs filling the cold air.

* * *

Smoke bellowed around the new Dark One and she looked back around the cabin that she had found herself in a couple of hours ago.

Taking a heaving breath, she looked over at the makeshift bed and rolled her eyes at the spirit sitting poised upon it.

She rolled her eyes and went to sit exactly where Rumpelstiltskin was and he instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of her.

He began giggling manically and said, "it's a rush, isn't it? Being able to do whatever you please?"

With a deep sigh she replied, "I cannot exactly do whatever I please…but anyway, why are you still here? I'm not even trying to resist the darkness."

"You have not yet committed any atrocities that could rival even the shortest lived Dark One, until you prove yourself, I will be here to ensure that you don't return to your hopeful little heroic thoughts."

Emma looked down for a moment, she felt utterly weak at how little she had been able to do against the manifestation of all the Dark Ones.

She was supposed to be the saviour and yet all she had been able to do was have a very short argument before the scaly apparition had convinced her that she needed to get revenge for what her parents had done. She could admit that she had been pretending to have forgave them for the childhood that she'd had, but the fact remained that they had put a new-born in a wardrobe based on some prophecy. They seemed to have no understanding of the consequences of their actions and it pissed her off more than she realised.

In fact, with the darkness coursing through her veins had only given her a better understanding for Regina. She genuinely felt sorry for the brunette for having had dealt with them for so many years.

"So you're here to tell me that I should kill my parents? Didn't I just try and do that?"

"But you failed and as a former hero, you are rather prone to sudden and convenient changes of heart. I'm simply here to offer guidance," he chuckled.

"And what kind of guidance would that be?"

"Perhaps advice on just what you could do with your parent's hearts? You despise that the whole town is aware of your one and only weakness and you could use their heart to be free of it."

Emma took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, "I'll need the dagger…"

"You have all the time in the world, dearie, patience is a virtue."

The blonde sighed and lay on her side, "people who say that are usually able to sleep…" she mumbled as she stared at the wall.

* * *

Henry knew something was wrong when Robin Hood showed up at the loft with Roland claiming to have been sent by his mother.

It wasn't that he didn't like the thief or even that he found Roland to be insufferable, it was just that he hated the fact that he and Hook were getting in the way of what he believed would be the perfect family.

He had been as surprised as the rest of the town when Regina and Emma had started becoming friends, but he could hardly argue with it. They were having a lot of family get togethers dinners, game nights and breakfast at Granny's were a few of the things that had become part of their weekly schedule and he was loving it.

He was finally beginning to understand something that he had always craved as a child: two parents.

Though he would give anything to have spent more time with his father, he liked the way that things were now, with the exception of the two men preventing the situation from being perfect.

Of course, if the Queens of Darkness hadn't gotten in the way, then he would have already implemented Operation SwanQueen, but as it was, he had yet to get past the page of notes he had been making when Robin had knocked at the door.

Instead of planning his latest operation, he was now half-heartedly playing Mario Kart with Roland, every so often, he shot a curious glance at Robin.

He could just feel that something had happened, and he also had a feeling that his mom had sworn Robin to secrecy, as if he couldn't handle whatever it was.

He couldn't take that sombre look any more, so he slammed the Wii remote down onto the sofa, and with Roland looking up with a confused expression, asked directly, "what's going on?"

"Nothing, your mom just asked me to watch you while she finishes off some paper work," Robin forced the lie through his shock.

"Straight after coming back from an alternate universe she goes to do paperwork?" Henry gives him a pointed look before continuing, "and why wouldn't she have asked my grandparents, or Ruby or Emma..." Robin's sharp intake of breath at the last name stopped Henry from continuing his list. In as measured a voice as he could Henry asked, "What happened to my ma?"

"I think you should wait for your mum to come back, she'll be able to explain better," he squirmed in his seat.

"Just tell me what happened," Henry almost growled, hardly being able to believe that they couldn't even go one night in safety.

Robin seemed to think about this for a few seconds, "Roland it's time for bed," he announced. Roland seemed to have no arguments, though he did scowl as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready.

Once they heard the door shut, Henry looked at Robin expectantly waiting for him to start, "the apprentice tried to cure the Dark One's black heart using the hat to absorb the darkness." Henry nodded, not understanding how Emma came into this, "well the hat couldn't hold that amount of dark energy so it escaped. Long story short, it attacked Regina so Emma absorbed the energy into her body. Henry, your moms the new Dark One," Robin looked tentatively up at Henry, trying to ascertain his reaction, but he was showing nothing but pure shock.

Instantly a thought pooped into Henry's head, "that's awesome!" Robin looked surprised at his sudden surge of excitement, "if anyone can control the Dark One's magic, it's the saviour. We'll find have that magic on our side," he stood up and fist pumped the air with a huge smile on his face.

"Henry, I'm not sure that's how it works..." Robin tried to calm him down.

"What do you know about magic?" Henry almost sneered, before realising that Robin wasn't a bad person, he's just bad for his mom.

As Robin struggled for a reply the front door opened, to reveal his grandparents and Regina, clutching the Dark One's dagger tightly in her right hand.

"Mom, I'm right, aren't, Emma can control the dark magic?" Henry announced as he ran over to hug her, Regina scowled at Robin.

"I think it's time that you and Roland got going, it must be passed his bedtime," Regina avoided her sons question.

"His just getting ready, I figured he could just sleep on Emma's bed" Robin replied, giving her a curious look.

Henry noticed his moms muscles tense at his suggestion, "I think Roland would be comfortable on his own bed at the mansion, I'll stay here with Henry, if that's alright."

"Alright," Robin gave each person in the room a questioning look before going to get Roland, at which point Regina waved her hand sending them both to Milfin.

Henry looked back at his grandparents, for the first time noticing their puffy eyes and the dried tears, "mom what happened?" he asked in a much less certain voice.

"Emma couldn't fight the darkness, I don't know what she is planning to do, but I think that she wants revenge on the town for making her so 'unhappy'", she explained while placing a calming hand on his shoulder, she faintly recognised Snow letting out another sniffle.

"How are we going to help her?" Henry asked, feeling tears trying to fall.

"I don't know what we can do, I don't know if the saviour even exists anymore," Regina replied.

At this Henry broke down into tears, and all that he could think was that Operation SwanQueen just got a lot more complicated.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed XD**

 **If you have read the original, let me know if you think this is an improvement and anything that you believed should have been included in the original :** **)**

 **Let me know if you're interested in me continuing the rewrite :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N, Just wanted to let you guys know that I was encouraged to join Tumblr by PerditusFic, so please check me out on tumblr at Withgirl-sq it's the best place to send ideas and I will be posting any ideas that I have for you guys to let me know what you think.**

Chapter two

-Three weeks later-

The next few weeks were like living in purgatory for the Charming family. It had been decided that Snow and Charming should hold onto the dagger and should always be together. No one had seen or heard from Emma since that night in the forest and Regina couldn't help but wonder if she was just biding her time before the Charmings made a mistake.

Snow had been a wreck after what Emma had said, and Henry spent most of his time trying to stop her from summoning the new Dark One, though he couldn't help but wonder what she was like.

It was in the third week that Rumple had woken up from his coma like state, now back to the mortal coward that he once was.

As soon as Regina got the phone call from Belle she had rushed to the hospital, planning possible ways that she could interrogate the insufferable imp, but what she found when she got there almost broke her heart.

She had always seen her magic teacher as the most powerful man in the world, and to be fair, he was. Now he was just a pathetic crippled man who looked genuinely terrified every time someone walked into the room. Then Regina remembered that this was all his fault and her sympathy morphed into pity.

"Regina, glad you could come," she could tell that he was trying to keep up the persona that he had maintained for so many centuries, but without his mantle and power he was nothing more than a man who had lost everything.

"Don't even bother Rumple, you know why I'm here," Regina stated.

Rumple looked at her curiously clearly not understanding, "I'm afraid, dearie, that I'm not quite as up-to-date as you believe I am, no one has even told me what happened to me!"

Regina looked up at Belle, who replied in a meek voice, "Whale said that you might not want him to know, we decided to see what you wanted to tell him."

Regina rolled her eyes, wondering why she hadn't just lets these people's curse be their own stupidity, but continued, "Emma is the new Dark One."

Rumple's eyes widened in shock, "and how do you suppose I will be of assistance in this matter?"

"Well you know the most about the darkness within her, how do we get her back?"

"We or you?" Rumple chuckled, before grimacing in unfamiliar pain.

"Just answer the question, imp!" Regina almost roared.

"Well you could always stab her in her heart with her dagger, problem solved, just find someone who wants to be the Dark One," he replied with a smirk.

"And would that person happen to be you," Regina sneered, "and I'm looking for an idea that won't kill her."

"You always have been too picky," Regina gave him a look that could rival the Evil Queen, "I can't help you, can't say that I spent much time finding ways to kill myself," he held his hands up in surrender.

"I can't imagine what you see in him," Regina directed towards Belle.

"Probably the same charm that you see in the newest Dark One," Rumple sneered.

Belle looked between them before she just rolled her eyes and said, "may I make a suggestion?"

"No doubt it will be more helpful than anything your husband has to say."

Rumple just looked away from her and Belle explained her theory, "part of being the Dark One is giving into the darkness, it's usually impossible to resist."

"But?" Regina prompted somewhat eagerly.

"Emma is also the saviour and the product of True Love, if anyone can resist, it's her," the Australian continued.

"It doesn't appear as though she is resisting even if she could," the mayor sighed.

"In the moment, she might be able to resist…but the darkness is very persuasive, it magnifies every negative feeling and she needs some way to realise that she has always had closure on most of her issues."

"I'm sure that I understand what you are suggesting," Regina replied exasperatedly.

"I am simply suggesting patience, if she's given a chance, she might be able to resist."

"And if she cannot?"

Belle and Rumple exchanged a look and Regina narrowed her eyes at the pair.

"What?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Rumple shifted uncomfortably under the former queen's glare and swallowed hard, "it took centuries to darken my heart, but Miss Swan has absorbed all of the darkness into her heart. As the saviour, she is naturally better prepared to not be completely overwhelmed as I was, but she is still mortal. It will not take much for her heart to become completely blackened. I believe if she should so much as take one life, we will once again be facing the possibility of an unstoppable Dark One, only this time, she has more power than I ever had. Trust me, your majesty, you do not want to allow that to happen."

"You're still alive…" Regina said weakly.

"Do you not know the definition of an idiot?" Rumple chuckled, "if you try to save Emma's heart in the same way you did mine, the darkness will only attach itself to another and you will be faced with the same issue."

Regina resisted the urge to say that she would just be happy if it was someone outside of her family, but she knew that was not the type of thing that a hero would say.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" she asked in a low voice.

"The hat was unable to hold pure darkness, but it would be quite adept at holding it while it is still trapped inside a body."

Regina took a deep breath and tried to work through his words, "are you suggesting that I take Miss Swan's life?"

"You know that the saviour would not want to be the one to terrorise the town. Should she be unable to resist the darkness, Emma could be seen as already dead, so allowing her to live would only be out of a selfish notion that she might be saved. If she cannot control herself, she would want you to stop it."

"You act as if you actually know her," Regina sneered.

"I may not know her personally, but I am aware of the heroic family she comes from, everyone in town knows what our dear sheriff would want. If she could, she would ask you to control her," he retorted, though Regina noted that he was shifting slighting again, clearly afraid of the possibility of a fireball.

The brunette took a moment to take this in.

Before the Queens of Darkness had shown up, she wouldn't even have hesitated to take Emma's life to ensure the safety of her town. Of course, she would have felt terrible after, but if it was justified, she figured that she could probably live with it.

Now, however, she felt an ache in her heart while she even considered the possibility of having to live without the saviour. Just in the last few weeks without her had been bad enough, but if she had to live with the idea that she would never have a chance of coming back, she knew that she wouldn't be able to allow the 'greater good' to make her feel any better.

"Storybrooke has truly made you soft, Regina," Rumple chuckled.

Regina looked up at him and realised that she had tears in her eyes from thinking about the prospect of living in an Emma-less town.

Blinking a couple of times, she realised that it was not helping with the wetness in her eyes.

Without another word, she turned on her heels and left the hospital room, she figured that she had a lot to think about and she certainly did not want to do it in front of the former Dark One.

* * *

Snow sat on the couch and once again ran her hand over the dark metal, wincing slightly as she re-read the name engraved upon it.

It had been decided that she and Charming should keep the dagger while they were awake so as to ensure their safety against the newest Dark One.

No matter how much logical sense this made, it still felt as though she had been carrying around an extra weight. The dagger was a constant reminder that she couldn't even check on her daughter without putting her life in danger. All she wanted to do was at least see where the woman was living, but she would be risking her heart if she called her.

Clutching the dagger harder, she considered that seeing Emma could make her feel better, but then images of the blonde plunging her hand into her chest and squeezing her heart, invaded her mind.

Blinking back tears, her attention was finally taken away from the weapon when someone fell heavily into the seat next to her.

Charming placed his hand on her arm and offered her a supportive smile as he placed a mug of coffee on the table.

"We need to try and think about other things, Mary Margaret," he said softly.

"How?" she laughed bitterly, "we don't even know where she is and even if we did, there would be nothing we could do to help her."

"All we can do is wait for Regina to find something," he sighed and brought his arm around her tensed shoulders.

"There must be something we can do," Snow replied almost desperately.

"You know that it would not be a good idea to interrupt Regina's work, she'll be better able to work if we just leave her alone."

"Do you think that Hook is doing the same?" the brunette asked.

Charming furrowed his brow, no one had really heard from the pirate, with the exception of the bartender of the Rabbit Hole.

"He supposedly loved Emma, so why isn't he helping?"

The blond resisted the urge to voice his real opinions on the pirate since he knew that it wouldn't have helped Snow in this moment.

"He has a lot of history with a Dark One, it can't be easy for him…"

"But then why isn't he doing everything he can to get her back…like Regina is…"

Silence fell over the pair for a moment as they each worked through the implications, though they seemed to collectively decide that they didn't want to think about it.

"We just need to be patient, we'll get our little girl back, I know it," he whispered as he brought her closer to his body.

"What if she's already gone?"

Charming looked at his lap, Snow sighed deeply as she leaned on her husband's shoulder when she realised that he had no little hope speech for the worries that had been weighing on her mind.

* * *

 _"You're late," Regina said with narrowed eyes._

 _Emma just smirked and fell into the seat opposite her, "where's the kid?"_

 _"He said that he would meet us here after he finishes some writing, I suppose he just didn't feel like waiting around."_

 _The blonde rolled her eyes and pulled the menu towards herself, "I had a lot of paperwork to get through, so if you want me to be on time, maybe you could lighten up on the sheriff's department."_

 _Regina smirked and said, "if I was to give you less work, it would encourage your little pointless games. Why should I pay you to throw paper balls into a trash can?"_

 _"Because I got 10,000 points yesterday, don't you want to get behind what could be the next big Olympic sport?" the saviour smirked, which turned into a grin when she noticed the fond smile tugging at the corner of Regina's mouth._

 _"You're an idiot, Miss Swan," she chuckled._

 _"Miss Swan? That's very impersonal for your best friend, Gina."_

 _"Best friend?" Regina asked with a tilted head._

 _"Well, we're friends, right?" the brunette nodded and Emma continued, "but we share a son. Co-parents seems to impersonal considering how much time we spend together…"_

 _"Been thinking about this long, have we?"_

 _Emma shrugged and said, "everyone in this town is obsessed with labels, I figured that it couldn't hurt. How do you feel knowing that your best friend is a Charming?"_

 _"Well, if I can deal with the fact that my son is one, I can certainly deal with it."_

 _"It?" Emma prompted with a half smirk._

 _Regina rolled her eyes and replied, "do I really have to say it?"_

 _The blonde nodded eagerly._

 _Letting out an exasperated huff, the brunette said, "you're my best friend."_

 _Emma smiled broadly as the bell over the door rang out to reveal a brunette boy._

 _Before they turned to look at him, Henry took time to inspect the looks that they were each wearing and he had to resist the urge to just go over and tell them that they belong together._

 _When they did turn, he knew that the moment was already ruined, so he just covertly rolled his as he made his way over to the pair._

 _Sliding into the booth next to his blonde mother, he smiled at both of them and said, "you know, we go to Granny's all the time, maybe we could eat at home next week?"_

 _"As long as there's lasagne, I won't say no," Emma smiled._

 _Regina returned the smile for a moment, before she remembered something, "I planned to have Robin and Roland over next week."_

 _"Oh," the sheriff said and Henry observed as she deflated and as a vaguely guilty expression passed over the mayor's face._

 _"You and Henry could join us," Regina suggested._

 _Emma smiled weakly and shook her head, "it's alright, I'll take the kid and you can have your date, tell Robin I'll watch Roland as well if he wants."_

 _Henry silently pleaded for his brunette mother to refuse, but she just smiled gratefully._

"I thought that was going somewhere else," Rumple giggled.

Emma blinked out of her daydream and scowled at the spirit, "I get that you're in my head, but you don't have to monitor my every thought," she scowled.

"I'm afraid that it isn't exactly optional dearie, I am part of you. Which is why I know how you really feel about the Evil Queen. You know, the woman who was responsible for your childhood?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and just said, "it was my parent's choice to put me in that wardrobe, I thought that you wanted me to hate them."

"I'm just trying to cover all my bases, I wouldn't want for you to have a sudden change of heart because you love her."

"You have nothing to worry about," Emma scowled, "though I do wonder if it is possible to die of boredom. Do you expect me to just sit here and wait for my parents to do something idiotic? I mean that I know it should statistically happen soon…"

"Perhaps you could fill your time more productively."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Emma shot back with a roll of her eyes.

"It would require some reading material," he giggled.

Emma rolled her eyes again and began shifting off the bed, "fine," she sighed.

* * *

After her encounter with Rumple, Regina decided to go to her vault, to continue the research she had been doing almost 24/7, much to Robin's annoyance. Though she and Robin were still together, Regina hadn't spoken to him since that night in the loft, only occasionally seeing him when she would go to the mansion to shower and change her clothes, otherwise she spent most of her time in the vault or at the loft.

It soon became clear that Snow couldn't sleep without Regina being near, so she hadn't gotten much sleep, but she honestly didn't care, sleep was a waste of time when she could be helping Emma.

As she found herself immersed in a book about the origins of dark magic, finding absolutely nothing useful or even interesting, she failed to look up upon hearing footsteps, "Snow you really need to give me some time alone, I can't spend all my time by your side," Regina sighed.

"I couldn't agree more, Your Majesty," a voice purred.

Regina dropped the book that she had been reading, desperately looking for the dagger that she knew she didn't have.

"Come now, Gina, do you honestly believe I would hurt you," Emma smirked at the flustered woman.

"Normally no, but you plunging your hand in to Snow's chest gave me pause," Regina sneered, as Emma began walking towards her, Regina was trying to take a step back to match Emma's footing. Despite the clear danger, all Regina could think about was how good Emma looked dressed all in black, a colour that certainly suited her much more at the moment than red.

Emma chuckled, as Regina's back hit the wall of her vault, noticing her wandering eyes, "don't worry that's reserved for mommy and daddy dearest, I've come with a proposition for you."

As Regina's mind went through the possible interpretations of that, she quickly turned bright red as the most inappropriate flashed into her mind, "I'm not interested Miss Swan."

"But believe me you will be," Emma smirked again moving closer to the former queen, so close that that they were breathing the same air, and all Regina could think about was the day that Henry got trapped in the mine.

That thought brought her back to reality as she realised that it was Emma Swan, the saviour know was her 'best friend', certainly not the Dark One, no matter how much she looked like her precious Emma.

"Unless it involves you using your new magic to help bring back the old you, I'm not interested!" Regina looked Emma straight in her no longer green eyes, hoping to see any of the old her in there, even if it's just a small part of her fighting against the darkness, Regina would be comforted.

"Where would the fun be in that Madam Mayor? No, I'm simply asking for help from my amazing magic tutor. You see, I'm still not quite used to these new powers, and since it's your fault that this happened, I figured you owe me," Emma replied bitterly.

Regina felt guilt rip through her insides as she looked at Emma. For the past three weeks that had been the only thought that she'd been having, _why did she have to save me?_

"You blame me?" Regina choked out, she knew for a fact that she shouldn't let what Emma says get to her, she never let Rumple faze her, but it was different with Emma, she wasn't always the monster that the darkness had morphed her into.

"That's the thing about that dark energy, Gina, it makes me blame everyone," Emma exited Regina's personal space and Regina could see vulnerability cracking its way through the facade, "yesterday I even thought that I should kill Henry for bringing me here in the first place. I need to be able to control this, I can't hurt people I care about."

"Then you shouldn't hurt your parents," Regina stated.

"Got to focus the anger somewhere, I made my decision," Emma's smirk returned to her face.

"I can't teach you, I've never had that much power, and Rumple is too weak and cowardly to teach you anything, guess there's no options left," Regina sneered.

"There is one," Emma waved her hand in front of Regina's face, as she fell to the ground in a deep sleep, she began taking all of the books and equipment that she wanted.

By the time Regina woke up an hour later, she was alone in a very empty vault.

 **A/N Reviews would be much appreciated ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Regina groaned as she sat on the Charming's couch, she placed a pack of frozen peas to the back of her head, as she looked up she saw three very expectant faces looking for answers.

"So how is she?" Charming asked, forgetting about Regina's pain.

"Insane," Regina muttered, at Henry's hurt expression she continued with a sigh, "she's alive, and apparently she can't quite control her magic yet, we may have time to help her before she does something she regrets."

Snow's face lit up with hope, which only made Regina sigh deeper, but then as another thought occurred her face became stormy again, "what did she want?"

"She wanted me to teach her how to use her new magic."

Snow gasped, "what did you say?"

Regina narrowed her eyes her idiotic former-stepdaughter, "I said yes, can't you see Snow we're in the middle of a lesson right now."

Snow sighed, "okay, that was a stupid question, so you said no and she took everything out of your vault."

Regina lay further back into the couch, "she didn't take the necklace that Daniel gave me, and she didn't take the various gifts that my father had given me."

Henry's expression morphed, and Regina could almost tell that he was concocting an operation, "that's awesome." At the questioning looks of his grandparents he elaborated, "it means that she still cares about her...friendship with mom, she can still feel emotion, we can save her."

"Henry, Rumple could feel every emotion in the world, but that didn't stop him from what he wanted to do," Charming placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder as his shoulders heaved..

Henry shrugged it off, "just because she's so angry at you two it doesn't mean that someone else can't break through the darkness."

As pain flashed across the parent's faces, Snow seemed to realise that Henry had a point, "why didn't I think of this before. True Loves Kiss, we need to find Hook, summon Emma and command her to kiss him, she'll be free of her curse."

Regina threw the peas down in exasperation, "it's not a curse, Snow. And besides who even said that the one handed wonder is even her True Love, it's not like he has been much help this last few weeks."

"He's just dealing with his pain," Snow almost shouted in excitement.

"He has not had a sober moment since that night, if he was her happy ending don't you think he would put aside his addiction to help his 'True Love'." Regina countered, this time she stood up despite the pain that she felt.

Henry noticed the tension in his mom's muscles and instantly thought of a brilliant idea, "I think grandma is right, it's worth a shot."

"Henry, you weren't there last time, she really wants to hurt Snow and David," Regina desperately tried to appease her overzealous son.

"Then David won't go and Snow will hold the dagger, besides Killian will bring her back!"

"It is not a curse!" Regina almost shouted, seeing that she had scared her son she sat down, "fine try it, but I am going to Whale for a check-up, just let me know when this fails."

She saw disappointment written across her son's face, but instead of questioning this she just poofed herself to the hospital, unable to deal with the idea that their plan might actually work.

* * *

Instead of going to Whale as she had said she would, Regina sat at the counter of Granny's with her head in her hands.

It was far too early for alcohol, so she had decided that coffee would have to do for now.

The former queen knew exactly why it bothered her so much that Emma would be kissing Hook soon, but there was no way that she would ever admit it out loud. She was willing to think about the way that she felt about the blonde, but it somehow felt like if se said it out loud, it would make it official.

Considering everything going on, she didn't want what she was telling herself was just a crush to get in the way of helping Emma. Though, she could admit that sitting at Granny's and pining after the Dark One wasn't particularly helpful.

In her stupor, she failed to notice the bell ringing out above the door, until a blonde that she hadn't talked to since the curse broke came up to the counter to order a beverage.

"Coffee to-go, please," Kathryn requested with a smile.

The waitress walked off to prepare the order and Kathryn stood in silence for a moment, until she turned and looked at Regina.

Her husband had called her insane when she had admitted that Regina hadn't actually been that bad of a friend, so she hadn't even bothered to mention that fact that she kind of missed being around the sarcastic mayor.

Three years later, she had managed to move past the friendship that had never really had a chance to take root, but in the back of her mind, she was always noting Regina's progress on the way to redemption. Seeing the woman have dinners with Henry and the sheriff in particular made her smile when she saw just how happy she was.

In this moment, though, she looked utterly miserable.

She could understand not being joyful considering the situation her family was currently in, but she could just tell that there was something else at play here. Figuring that Regina had lost the one person that she would be willing to discuss feelings with to ultimate darkness, she decided that she could at least lend and ear and it would be up to the brunette whether or not she accepted it.

"Are you okay?" she asked after accepting and paying for her drink.

Regina raised her head from her hand and covertly looked around to see if she was the one being addressed.

Noting that there was no one else that Kathryn could be talking to, she said rather unconvincingly, "I'm fine."

The blonde tilted her head, realising that this was an out, that she could just walk away and pretend that the conversation had never happened.

Falling onto the stool next to the mayor, she raised her eyebrows in disbelief and said, "you don't look fine, Regina."

The brunette sighed, she figured that a half-lie could at least get the other woman to leave her alone, so she said, "I haven't been sleeping much in the last few weeks."

"Aren't Snow and David perfectly capable of protecting themselves?"

"Not when it comes to their daughter," Regina sighed.

"Perhaps a break is in order so you don't die from sleep deprivation?"

The brunette sighed, realising that this woman was much more persistent than she remembered, though she could hardly deny that it felt nice to finally talk to another adult who was neither a Charming nor a thief.

"You could go and spend some time with Robin…"

"That would just make me feel worse," Regina replied with a bark of laughter. The former queen's eyes widened when she realised what she had said and she held up a finger threateningly, "you didn't hear that."

Kathryn nodded eagerly, though she wasn't sure whether she was terrified or interested in learning more, they sat in silence for a moment, before the blonde made her decision.

"I thought Robin was supposed to be your soulmate."

Regina scoffed and shook her head, "he may have been my soulmate when I was a teen, but it would be some kind of joke if he was now."

The brunette furrowed her brow when she realised that she had just spilled her thoughts for the first time and it had felt oddly cathartic.

"I was under the impression that he's a good man," Kathryn frowned.

"He is," Regina sighed, "but there isn't much else to him."

"So you're unhappy because your boyfriend is too one-dimensional?" the blonde laughed.

The mayor rolled her eyes and just nodded.

"And who do you think isn't 'too one-dimensional?"

 _Emma,_ Regina instantly thought and she just rolled her eyes at herself this time, "I haven't really had time to think about it," she lied.

"Huh-huh," Kathryn replied sceptically as she raked her eyes over Regina's facial expression. It was quite obvious that she knew exactly who she wanted to be with, but she wasn't really in a position to force the truth out of her. They hadn't even been friends that long and she could always just claim that it didn't count since she was cursed.

She finally noticed the gash on her forehead and her eyebrows shot up, "what happened?"

Regina shrugged her shoulders and downed the rest of her coffee, "the newest Dark One did not appreciate rejection."

Kathryn nodded as she inspected the gash, "you need to go to the hospital."

The brunette just clicked her fingers and the wound healed itself.

"You still have to go and make sure you don't have a concussion," Kathryn insisted after she blinked a couple of times at the unexpected use of magic.

Regina pulled out her phone, she figured that the Charmings were not yet done with their idiotic plan, so she just nodded and began walking towards the door before Kathryn could offer her a ride.

* * *

In her excitement Snow simply shrugged off Regina's reluctance to help, but Henry saw straight through it. He prayed to anyone that would listen that this plan would fail, to get rid of any doubt in Regina's mind that the insufferable pirate was who Emma was supposed to be with. So he had happily told Snow and Charming that they should go to the Rabbit Hole as quickly as possible.

"You know you can't go in there, right?" Charming asked his grandson.

"It's one in the afternoon, they serve lunch, of course I'm allowed in, Hook and Leroy will be the only ones drinking anyway," Henry pointed out.

"Why do you want to help so badly anyway? We could just let you know what happens," Snow asked.

"I haven't seen Emma in three weeks, I miss her, even if this doesn't work at least I get to see her with my own eyes," it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth, he actually wanted to see the pirate get rejected.

"You probably won't like what you see," Snow sighed.

"No matter what she's like she is still my mom, and I think that you should stop acting so afraid, she's still your daughter," Henry was trying to avoid whinnying at this point.

"I'm not sure how much of our daughter is left, Henry she tried to take your grandma's heart."

Henry sighed, sick of having the same argument over and over, "can we just go and get Hook?"

They both nodded in unison and proceeded inside the local watering hole without further discussion. The truth was that they were both afraid that nothing that they did would work, and that Emma would live an immortal life hating them.

* * *

"Rum," Hook called to the bar keep, who just rolled his eyes before he grabbed the bottle that he kept next to him for the past three weeks.

"He meant to ask for a glass of water," Charming announced, he was given a doubtful look before a glass of water was placed in front of the pirate.

Hook looked unable to comprehend what happened to his precious rum, "I meant rum," he called, but the soft drink remained. "What do you want, mate, can't you see I'm busy?"

Bypassing the pirate's comments, Snow got straight to the point, "we think we have a way to help Emma."

"And why would I want to help that monster?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Because you love her and she loves you!" Charming replied angrily.

"You're forgetting, mate, that it is the Dark One who took everything from me, my hand, my Milah, why would I disgrace her memory to try and help the newest crocodile," he sneered.

"Because she is Emma, not just the Dark One," Snow pleaded.

"And what is it you would have me do?"

"Break the curse with True Love's Kiss, if you did that then she would no longer be the Dark One, she would go back to who she was before the darkness," Charming answered, even if he was becoming less and less sure that this was a good idea by the second.

Hook considered this for a second, "I suppose you're right, with my kiss she will be free, and we could pick up where we left of."

Henry's sigh of annoyance went unnoticed.

* * *

A few hours later, once Hook had sobered up as much as possible, the four of them arrived at the loft. Charming had decided that no matter the risk he wanted to be able to see his daughter, so he and Snow stood side by side with Henry behind them, as Snow held up the dagger.

"Emma, we summon you," Snow announced, the fact that she was unable to say Dark One not going unnoticed by the group.

"You know I have a cell phone right?" came from the couch, they all looked over to see Emma laying across it reading a dark tome.

Henry caught his breath the moment that he saw her, she was just so different to what he remembered. She was more like Regina had been before the curse had broken, but he was determined not to hurt her in the same that he hurt his mom. He had to be a better son if his moms were going to get their happy ending.

"M-ma," he stuttered, trying to walk closer, only to be stopped by Charming.

At the sound of Henry's voice Emma put the book down, staring at the son that she hated in one moment and missed deeply the next, for the first time in weeks she found herself unable to form words.

Swallowing hard, Emma turned to Snow and mockingly asked, "how may I serve you master?"

Snow nearly choked on the tears that were streaming down her face, as she looked at Hook all she could do was hope that this whole ordeal would be over in a few moments.

"I command you to kiss Killian," she announced after a brief pause.

For the first time Emma seemed to notice that Hook was there, and she burst out laughing, "still believe that he is my true love?"

"What?" Hook asked indignantly.

"It's calling settling captain, we can't all end up with our perfect match like the great Snow White and Prince Charming."

"It's just the darkness talking," Charming whispered to his wife.

"I command you to kiss Killian," Snow tried again, this time with more conviction.

"Whatever," Emma replied, as her link to the dagger forced her to move over to the pirate.

Placing her hands on his shoulders and with his arm snaking around her waist, she leaned in and planted a firm closed mouth kiss on him. They all waited with bated breath, but nothing happened, a fact that Hook didn't seem to notice, as he tried to pull her in for another kiss. Before he even came close a blast of darkness sent him back, hitting the wall violently.

"The command was one kiss, _mate,_ can I go now?" Emma asked, not even in turning around to see her family's looks of despair, as she desperately tried to ignore the giggling of the man only she could see.

Snow simply loosened her grip on the dagger, allowing her to leave. For a moment Emma considered whether this was an opportunity to get what she wanted, but thought better of it considering Snow held the dagger and Charming was basically cowering behind her, so she just left.

As Hook stood he grumbled something about rum and left without another word.

* * *

Regina entered the loft about twenty minutes later.

After the diner, she had actually gone to see Whale and had been told that there were no signs of concussion, but he still recommended sleep. That was something that she knew she probably wouldn't get with Robin's incessant questions, so she had decided that she could at least try and get some sleep on the Charming's couch.

Upon seeing her son and his grandparents, she couldn't help but notice how solemn they looked, so they had either listened to her and not done it or they had done it and she had been right.

"Mom!" Henry announced, running up to hug her, very tightly, and as soon as he did she knew that the latter was true. Henry no longer seemed as optimistic as he had earlier, he must have come into contact with the new Dark One, she just hoped that the Truest Believer hadn't lost faith because then they would all be doomed.

"What happened, my little prince?" she asked, returning the hug without hesitation.

"Emma she's...she's horrible. Snow commanded her to kiss Hook, and then when he tried to kiss her again she sent him flying against the wall," as Henry looked up he noticed the slight smirk that had adorned his mother's face at the news.

"What do we do now?" Snow asked, all Regina could do was shrug her shoulders, she had found herself out of options a long time ago, but without her books there was literally nothing she could do.

As Regina began to walk over to the couch that the others seemed to be avoiding, she heard Snow ask, "what did you mean that it's not a curse?"

"I mean that she chose that fate, a curse is something that an individual does not want, but I think it's quite obvious that Miss Swan is quite fond of her new abilities," Regina replied, while almost throwing herself down on the couch, only to find that the cushion wasn't as comfortable as she remembered. Reaching down her hands came into contact with a leather bound tome, as she held it up she threw glances at the others.

Henry gasped realising what it was, "Emma left it here, she must have forgotten it after the whole Hook thing."

Turning it over, Regina realised that it was the book that she had been reading in the vault before Emma robbed her, did she leave as it a cruel joke? Then Regina felt a spark of hope as she realised something, "Rumple gave me this book, maybe Emma is trying to tell me something that the darkness won't let her say," she said almost to herself, as she turned to the page that she had last read.

"Maybe you should go and see him again, he might know what she's trying to say," Charming offered, and Regina suddenly hated that she had given them hope, why did she have to do that?

"Whale said that I have to get some sleep, I'll go tomorrow if that's alright with you," Regina replied, making a move to lay down on the sofa.

Henry quickly jumped up off the stool she had been sitting on, "sleep on Emma's bed, er...you're injured you need to sleep somewhere comfortable right?" he asked hoping that she simply wouldn't go to the mansion, back into Robin's arms.

"You're right Henry, I guess that this means one of you two have to stay up with the dagger," Regina chuckled walking past Emma's dumfounded parents, "don't screw it up," she called.

* * *

Snow and David decided to leave Henry to finish his school work, figuring if there was any danger that Henry could just wake up Regina. _Besides,_ Snow thought bitterly, _Emma doesn't want to hurt either of them._

All she had been able to think about lately was that moment when she watched her daughter's hand plunge into her chest. It just all felt so pointless, having gone through what they did to Maleficent only for Emma to turn darker than they could have imagined, this wasn't the first time that Snow wandered what would have happened if they have just left Emma's disposition up to fate.

So she and David had gone out for a walk through the empty streets of Storybrooke, as most people would be asleep at this time. Snow clutched Emma's dagger and David had a walkie-talkie that Henry had made him take.

Neither could say a word, they had already been having the same conservation for the past few weeks and seeing Emma again, being in no way less dark, caused each parent to fall into a despair deeper than they had been in before.

Snow missed Emma with all her heart, and she could feel that her husband felt the same way. But she would be lying if she said that she could live with any other Emma than the one that they known before she had absorbed the darkness. Since finding out that she was pregnant with Neal, Snow hadn't worried what it would do to her fragile, abandonment issue, riddled child. Though she and Charming saw Emma as their little girl, neither of them truly were able to picture the girl that had grown up in the foster system with no hope, instead they both saw the infallible saviour that the whole town had come to adore.

After considering this for hours on end Snow had come to the conclusion that Emma had been right on the first night that they had summoned her: they had failed her.

Snow felt guilt consume her every time she heard her daughter's name, came into contact with anything that belonged to the blonde, and every time they actually talked to the new Dark One, Snow felt a part of her soul die. All around her was evidence of her failure as a mother to the best possible daughter in the world.

She also began to understand Emma's view concerning Neal.

Every time she reached a milestone with him she couldn't stop thinking about what baby Emma would have been like. Neal said 'dadda' the other day and Snow spent hours wondering what Emma's first word was, and how many different care homes she had been in before she said it, she felt her guilt deepen as she realised that Emma's first word probably wasn't 'mamma' or 'dadda'. She just wanted her daughter back so that she could ask all of these questions and spend every minute of every day making up for time that she could never possibly get back.

As they walked hand in hand closer to the forest trail that they frequented together, they were both brought out of their mental angst by the sound of crunching from a nearby tree, and Snow could tell exactly who it was.

"What do you want Emma?" her voice bellowed as her hand snapped up with the dagger.

But what came out of the shadows shocked them both, it was Emma but she looked like she had just before she had absorbed that darkness, right down to the outfit and terrified but hopeful look on her face.

"Mom, dad?" Emma asked in a quiet, far less mocking voice than she had used in weeks.

Snow's resolve nearly disappeared as those beautiful words came out of her daughter's mouth after weeks of torture, but she had experienced Rumple's manipulation too many times.

"Emma?" Charming asked tentatively, clearly on the same page as his wife.

As she walked close, Snow's grip on the dagger tightened and Emma stopped walking, "please, I'm so lonely, I just want to go back to the way that things were," Emma cried, clearly trying to fight her magical binds.

Without a second thought, Snow dropped the dagger to the ground and ran towards Emma.

But just as the parents were about to reach her outstretched arms, Emma's form disappeared and reappeared behind them next to her dagger. She had even changed her clothes back to her usual black attire to match the familiar smirk.

"Such idiots," she tutted as she picked up the dagger and inspected it with a look of pure joy on her face.

Snow stood frozen in fear, unable to believe that she could have been given hope and have it ripped away so many times.

Charming stood behind her equally as frozen, until a dark fire ball appeared in Emma's hand, on reflex he pushed his wife at the same time he jumped in the opposite direction so that the fire ball hit the tree behind them. He grabbed the walkie-talkie from his belt, hoping that Henry would be manning his as he had promised.

"Henry" as he pressed the button static emanated from the device, "Henry please say you are there."

As Snow noticed Charming going for the walkie-talkie she knew what she had to do, she stood up diverting Emma's attention from her father, "Emma, please don't do this."

The Dark One was certainly no longer acting like the meek afraid girl, she was smiling manically taking pleasure in finally being able to do what she has been yearning to do.

"That's very tempting, mother, but I find this much more fun," she sheathed the dagger into her belt, and lit a fire ball in each hand. She threw each towards Snow, who managed to dodge the first, but the second grazed her left arm, she screamed out in pain, as the smell of burning flesh reached her nose.

Snow clutched her injured arm and felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Henry get your mom, tell her we lost the dagger, we were just walking at the edge of the fore-" Charming suddenly felt burning plastic as he dropped the ruined device, with a slight scream. He looked up seeing Emma just retracting her hand after throwing another fire ball.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, noticing the distinct sight of bellowing purple smoke just behind Emma, as Regina materialised she nodded at Charming, silently asking him to help her.

He ran over to Snow dodging fire balls and jolts of energy, he threw his back towards Emma and Regina, hoping that the latter could do something before his daughter murdered him.

Relief flooded through Regina as she saw that Charming wasn't always an idiot, he managed to draw Emma's attention so that she didn't notice the brunette creeping behind her. As Emma began charging an attack powerful enough to rip apart her parents at the same time, Regina quickly grabbed her arm twisting it around, the attack destroying a nearby tree. Emma was forced to turn, shock preventing her from doing anything to counterattack, Regina punched her straight in the face, knocking her down unconscious. As Emma fell to the ground, Regina shook her potentially broken hand, she bent down and grabbed the dagger from Emma's belt.

Snow and Charming looked up at the former queen in shock, and with a sigh Regina quipped, "I asked for one night of sleep, you idiots."

 **A/N Reviews would be much appreciated XD**

 **For anyone wondering, there will be six chapters in this fic.**

 **Also, if you have read the original, the ending will be the alternate one since I'm trying to better set up Into the Hat.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Emma's consciousness began to return, and the first thing she noticed was that she was laying on something much more comfortable than the makeshift bed from the cabin she had isolated herself in.

Since moving to Storybrooke she had to get used to not waking up to an empty apartment, especially since the curse broke she had never had a lonely morning, the likes of which she had immensely enjoyed while living in Boston. Of course, she didn't realise this until she was blessed with the darkness. Despite the fact that she had been terrified to take the darkness in, once she had stopped fighting against it she found enjoyment in feeling magic come to the surface to be released on those that irritate her. Since becoming the Dark One she had been able to understand the Evil Queen much better, she just wished that Regina would embrace the darkness aswell, then she would have a much better time in embracing it together, it certainly looked fun for the Queens of Darkness when they became a team.

As she tried to move, she recognised the restrictive magic of that annoying dagger that she had for all of five minutes, someone must have commanded her to remain on what she now realised was the Charming's couch.

Opening her eyes, she scowled seeing Snow with her left arm in a sling staring at her, "you know that it's impolite to watch people sleep?"

"You know it's impolite to throw fire balls at people," Regina's voice came from the kitchen, where she seemed to be making dinner.

"Hypocrite," Emma grumbled, burrowing further into the couch. "So what plan has the great heroes come up with to avoid this crisis?" she wondered aloud.

"So far not letting you off the couch while you have those pesky homicidal tendencies," Regina replied, moving to the table to set out the knives and forks.

"You realise that I have all the time in the world, _Grandma"_ Emma called, she noticed how her ex-step grandmother stiffened as she pointed out their somewhat disturbing family tree.

"Well, have fun sitting there until we all die of old age, that sounds like it will be the best decades of your life," Regina replied, moving to the oven, Emma smelt Regina's distinct lasagne that she loved so much at their family dinners and she visibly perked up.

"You know I've been living on pop tarts for three weeks," Emma hinted.

Regina smirked, and Snow just watched in awe as the two exchange barbs as if they were back to being tentative friends.

The former queen walked over and she placed a chocolate pop tart in Emma's hands, "then you should enjoy this, oh great and powerful Dark One." Turning away she shouted, "Henry, Charming it's time for dinner."

It wasn't long before they were all seated at the dinner table, after about five minutes Regina had grabbed the dagger commanding Emma to be silent for the rest of the night, and they had then proceeded to ignore her. Although Emma felt the occasional glances and noticed how often a conversation stopped if they were telling a story that involved her. She had long since thrown the pop tart at her mother out of pure petulance and was beginning to regret it, especially with the smell of lasagne filling the air.

As a thought occurred to her, she smirked, waving her hand Snow's dinner appeared on her lap and she began eating it greedily.

"Hey" Snow shouted out, indignant, Emma simply pointed at Regina who had the dagger, then to her mouth making a zipping motion, after shrugging her shoulders she continued eating.

She smirked when she heard Charming stand to get Snow another portion. Not quite the pain she wanted her mother to be in, but who said the Dark One can't have some fun?

* * *

Henry gathered some comic books and then made his way out of his room and into his mother's, where the brunette woman was packing some clothes.

Raising his eyebrow at her, he asked, "are you not planning to come back for a while?"

Regina extended her hand to take the comic books and placed them in the bag, "it seems doubtful that we are going to make any progress anytime soon."

"Are you sure that it's not just because there's a reason to spend more time at the apartment?"

The older brunette narrowed her eyes at her son, but decided to move past it.

Henry raised his eyebrow at her lack of reply and smirked, "is it a coincidence that Robin and Roland aren't here?"

Regina bit her lip and sighed, "Miss Lucas may have informed me that they're at the diner…"

"Why are you avoiding him?"

"I have more important things to deal with than Robin, Henry," she said through gritted teeth, adamantly refusing to make eye contact with him.

Henry's smirk increased, he considered asking her outright how she felt about his blonde mother, but he knew that Regina wasn't exactly the type of person to be completely honest about her feelings. He had a sneaking suspicion that she had yet to fully admit to herself how she felt about the former saviour.

The fact that Emma was now a sadistic Dark One was also not particularly helping the situation.

"Can't he help somehow?" the younger brunette asked trying to act as if he didn't already know the answer.

Regina pursed her lips and began zipping the bag, "if I need something stolen, then he would be the first person that I would call. I believe he would be quite inept at anything magical."

Henry's eyebrows shot, he wasn't expecting that level of hostility towards the thief, but it seemed as if his mother had finally cracked.

Between practically babysitting her former stepdaughter and dealing with the Dark One who was literally incapable of sleep, he could hardly blame her for an occasional outburst.

Regina sighed deeply and looked over at Henry's shocked expression, deciding that she really didn't want to discuss her failing love life with her son, she asked, "did you get everything you need?"

The younger brunette thought better of pressing the subject and just nodded in confirmation, "are you sure that I have to go to school?"

Regina tilted her head, a small smirk bloomed across her face at his hopeful tone and she replied, "what reason do you have to not go?"

"I think that ma being the Dark One qualifies as a family crisis."

"You would never graduate if you missed school every time our family had a crisis," Regina shot back with a quirked eyebrow.

Henry huffed dramatically and the older brunette chuckled at him as she turned away from him, she didn't notice that his scowl turned into a wide grin at the mention of 'our family'.

* * *

Later that day Regina was making her way to talk to Mr Gold, the heavy tome in hand.

She would be lying if she said that she hadn't enjoyed having Emma around to trade barbs, and not that she would admit it, but it was much more fun with her having embraced the darkness.

Gold had gone back to working at the pawn shop, and not that she knew why, but Belle had decided to give the imp another chance.

As the bell chimed, Gold looked up from some paperwork he was doing, and for a moment Regina wondered if she had ever actually seen him do any work before.

"Hello your majesty, how may I help you?" he asked, though it seemed that he had come to terms with the fact that he no longer had any power, the sarcasm was still there, just not as biting as it once was.

Placing the book on the counter she asked, "what does this mean to you?"

Giving her a curious look he turned the tome around, reading its title, he said "it's just a beginners guide to using dark magic, the first I ever gave you I believe, what should it mean?"

"Emma left it in the Charming's apartment," Regina replied as nonchalantly as possible.

At the news a smirk adorned his face, "wow, Snow White has really rubbed off on you, do you really think that a book could be the hope that you were waiting for?"

"I-Henry thought that she may be trying to tell us something that the darkness won't let her say."

Shooting her a disbelieving look he replied, "from what I have heard of Miss Swan, I think it's a safe bet that she isn't being controlled by the darkness."

"What? Of course she is," Regina growled.

"I think you're forgetting who here had ever held that power. There are two kinds of Dark One's, the ones who choose to become it, embracing the darkness and the ones that are controlled by the darkness because their body cannot control it. Believe me if she was being controlled then she would be infinitely worse."

"Or maybe her light power had allowed her to reduce the effects," at Rumple's scoff, she pointed at the book, "just answer my first question."

"No need to be so rude," he muttered while opening the book, "I can't see anything of note, give me some time and I will try and find whatever miracle you are looking for."

"I must say, you are far less insufferable when you have no leverage," Rumple set his jaw, but made no reply, with a small laugh Regina left the pawn shop.

* * *

"Are you even going to attempt to free yourself?" Rumpelstiltskin asked with an exasperated sigh.

Emma looked away from the ceiling that she had been staring at since she had been left alone by her family and muttered, "I'm open to suggestions."

"Perhaps some manipulation is order, I'm sure that one of them would be willing to give you your freedom," the imp shot back.

"They may be morons, but I don't think that they would fall for the same trick twice, especially now that Regina is basically in charge of making sure I don't do anything."

"I think that you may be overestimating dear Mayor Mills," Rumple giggled, "she may be much more cynical than your parents, but the fact remains that I was able to turn her into the Evil Queen. We both know that Regina's feelings are her weakness and even if she won't admit it, she has very strong feelings for you."

Emma was tempted to scoff at the spirit and deny his words, but he was basically a part of her, she doubted that she would ever be able to hide a thought from him.

"I don't think that…" she started, only to be interrupted by the door opening.

The very brunette that they had been talking about walked in and narrowed her eyes at the blonde, "who are you talking to?"

Emma shot a quick look at the man that she knew only she could see and then looked back over to the brunette who had closed the door and was looking at her expectantly.

"Myself," the Dark One lied easily, "I got really bored."

Regina just rolled her eyes, she had a feeling that there was something else going on, but she honestly didn't have the energy to find out, so she just began walking over to the kitchen.

As she did so, she looked around realised that it was just she and Emma in the apartment, "why are you alone?"

"Something about school and work, don't worry, Madam Mayor, they took Neal and the dagger with them," Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Can you please let me off this thing?" she pouted, for a moment Regina saw the childish woman that she found so endearing.

"That may have worked on your parents, but it certainly won't work on me," Regina moved to make herself a cup of coffee.

"Can you get me a drink then?" Emma pleaded.

Giving her a doubtful look she asked, "can't you just steal someone else's like you have been doing for the past twelve hours?"

With a dazzling smile Emma replied, "I would never steal from you."

"My empty vault would beg a differ."

"Okay I would never do it again," Regina just shot her another doubtful look, which made the blonde almost whine, "please Gina you make the best coffee."

Considering this for a moment Regina just shook her head, deciding that with the dagger not even in the apartment it wasn't like Emma could use her to get off the couch.

Grabbing another cup she poured coffee into each, bringing them both over to the couch, and in a bold move she sat next to the Dark One handing her the mug, feeling a small jolt of electricity as their hands brushed.

Emma began to slurp down her coffee in a way that she knew would annoy Regina, who just rolled her eyes. She was about to scold her, but found that she couldn't form words when the blonde draped her legs across her lap.

Clearing her throat she asked, "so what is your great plan?"

Emma considered this for a moment, "just kind of going with it at the moment, not everyone can be as organised as the Evil Queen."

Regina scoffed and said, "if you hadn't noticed the Evil Queen failed about a hundred times."

"Yeah, I have a theory about that actually," Emma smirked.

"And pray tell Miss Swan, what is this theory?"

"I think that you were holding back, there must have been a part of you that didn't actually want to hurt Snow. The only person that the curse actually hurt was me," as she saw pain flash across the former queens face she let out a small laugh, "unclench your majesty, I forgave you a long time ago."

"And why do you think I was holding back? Why would I spend so many years trying to kill her and not take the chance to do so if I could have?" Regina scoffed, desperately trying to think of a way to get the blonde's legs off her lap.

"Well you've heard all of the talk of fate that goes on in this town right?" Regina narrowed her eyes, giving a slight nod. Emma smirked, removing her legs she moved up on her knees and whispered into her ear, "if you had killed Snow, you never would have met me."

Regina gave out an almost inaudible yelp, as she turned her face, their lips an inch apart, just as Emma was about to lean forward, Regina heard the door open, and she jumped up off the couch as the former saviour fell back against it looking thoroughly disappointed.

"Hey mom...er what are you guys doing?" Henry asked.

"Why aren't you at school?" Regina scolded.

"Er...the school internet isn't working, so Mr. Adams sent me home to print off my history paper," he replied narrowing his eyes at his two mothers.

"Well then go and do it," Emma grumbled.

Giving her the same scolding look, Regina turned to Henry, "go and print it and I'll drop you back at school."

"Okay..." Henry replied, as he turned away from them, as he heard a flustered Regina moving away from the couch and Emma's sigh, he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Regina asked as she started the Mercedes.

"Like what?" Henry asked innocently.

"Like you're planning an operation," taking his silent smirk as a reply, she continued "what's this one called, Operation anti-Dark One."

Henry gave out a small laugh, "that's the most unimaginative name in the world, and no it has nothing to do with Emma," he lied.

"Whatever you say," Regina scoffed as she turned a corner, and she stopped outside Henry's school after about five minutes.

Just as he was about to get out Regina grabbed his arm, "can I ask you something?"

Sitting back down he nodded.

"What do you think about Robin?"

"I think his a attention whore," Henry replied.

"Henry!"

"Did you want me to lie? Ruby told me that he was talking to her at the diner yesterday, saying that you should be at his side where you belong."

"He actually said that?" Regina asked quietly.

"He's a complete misogynist according to Ruby. Apparently he thinks that you should taking care of what he wants instead of, and I quote 'helping that dark bitch'."

"What is with your language?" Regina asked, slightly shocked that this could be her little prince.

"I was quoting, and that's not the point," he defended.

"Okay, then what is the point?"

"I think that there is someone better out there for you, someone that makes you smile, respects you and loves you more than life itself."

"And who would this miracle person be?" Regina scoffed.

"Isn't it your job to find that person?"

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?" she crossed her arms rather childishly.

"All in good time, mom," he laughed, "I really got to go, lunch is nearly over, but I think you need to talk to someone who isn't thirteen about your love life," he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran from the car just as the bell rang.

All Regina could think was that her son is far too mature for his age, as she pulled out her phone and prepared to take his advice.

* * *

Regina paced the porch and bit the inside of her cheek.

She considered that this was utterly ridiculous, she didn't need anyone's help, certainly not with something as trivial as the woman she had a simple crush.

Closing her eyes, she had a vivid image of what it looked like to be so close to the Dark One's face. It had felt amazing at the time, but the more she thought about it, the more she realised that those gold eyes were not the ones she wanted to see.

With a heavy sigh, she knocked at the door and after a couple of seconds, the door opened to reveal the familiar blonde who she had arranged to meet for a talk.

Kathryn smiled good naturedly at the mayor, she had certainly been surprised to get her call, but she had been unable to deny her a chance to chat. She wanted to help the woman and was more than willing to be her confidant.

Silently, they walked into the living room where the blond had already set out some coffee and biscuits, Regina ran her eyes over the table and smiled gratefully.

Taking a seat at one end of the couch, she brought the offered beverage closer to herself and then they sat in silence.

Kathryn inspected her, deciding to give her a moment to think through what she wanted to say. When moments turned into minutes, however, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle the silence any longer and asked, "so what is it that you needed to talk about?"

Regina continued to stare at her lap and decided to just bite the bullet, "you asked me a question in the diner and the answer I gave you was a lie."

The blonde quickly ran through the conversation in her mind, trying to remember exactly what the question was and then she realised and asked, "the 'one dimensional' thing?"

The brunette nodded and swallowed hard as she considered whether there was any way out of this now. Of course, she could just leave and never talk to the other woman again, but she felt like getting it out in the open would probably be better for her health at this point.

"I know who it is that I would prefer to be with over Robin…"

Kathryn nodded and tilted her head in anticipation.

After a pregnant silence, Regina all but mumbled, "Emma."

The princess nodded slowly and said, "okay…"

Regina's eyes widened at the woman's lack of surprise and asked, "it doesn't shock you?"

"If you said it before Zelena, I probably would have assumed that you had gone insane, but the two of you have been spending a lot more time together. If anyone didn't know that the two of you weren't together and saw you with Henry, they would probably assume that you were already a family…"

The mayor took a moment to take this in, before the Heroes and Villain's universe, she hadn't even considered the possibility, but it made complete sense now.

Robin and Hook seemed to be completely pointless.

Henry had Charming for a male role model, not the pirate and thief made particularly good stand ins for a father figure.

"So what would you suggest that I do?"

"Well, I can't help with her current…predicament, but for now I would suggest that you should do the right thing for Robin…"

"I should break up with him," she sighed.

Kathryn nodded in confirmation and then pointed out, "how can you explore your feelings if you have to deal with lingering guilt of not be faithful?"

Regina pulled out her phone and for a moment was tempted to just text him her feelings, but she knew that she should be breaking up with her 'soulmate' face-to-face.

"Thank you," she sighed as she just placed the phone back in her pocket and began drinking her coffee.

"Anytime," Kathryn smiled.

* * *

After going to the mansion and finding Robin was not there she decided that she would check the diner and if he wasn't there she would just call him. Although breaking up with him over the phone sounded appealing she knew that, after convincing him that they were a true love pairing, she should probably do this in person.

Surely enough, there he was throwing darts at the board, rolling her eyes she walked over to him, placing her hand on his arm.

"Regina, what a surprise," he grumbled as he threw the last dart, hitting the bulls eye.

Feeling the eyes of the patrons upon her, Regina grabbed his arm almost forcing him into a nearby fairly private booth.

"We need to talk," she whispered, noticing Ruby was probably trying to listen.

"I'd say so, since we have barely seen each other in a month," clearly he didn't understand the need for whispering, sighing Regina decided to get this over and done with.

"I think we should break up," she said and watched as his expression went from confusion to anger.

"How could you do that to me?" he almost shouted.

"Shhhh" Regina hissed.

"What's the point, everyone here can already see how you have humiliated me. Why would you end this after everything that we have been through together?"

Scowling at a nearby customer who was staring at them, she decided that she just needed to end this, "I decided to not live my life based on what others tell me. Just because you were my soul mate when I was 18 it doesn't mean that you are now, I think it would be better if we both just moved on."

"Oh so does this mean that you have met your newest soul mate?" he asked angrily.

"Are you accusing me of cheating?" she asked, indignantly.

"You have been spending a lot of time with the Dark One."

"Robin!" Regina shouted.

"Okay, Granny said this has to end, one you have to leave," Ruby jumped over, before Regina lit a fireball.

"Not a problem," Robin growled, as he stormed out.

"You okay," Ruby whispered to Regina.

Sighing she said, "yes, can I order two coffees, a chicken salad and a bear claw to go."

Smirking knowingly Ruby answered, "coming right up, Madam Mayor."

* * *

"I swear it doesn't take that long to get to the kid's school," Emma called as Regina entered.

"I had something to take care of," she replied, as she walked straight over to the couch without hesitation.

Sitting down she handed Emma the bear claw and coffee and she raised her brow, "whatever happened to this is the worst kind of food across all of the realms," the blonde mimicked.

Regina let out a small laugh as she unpackaged her salad, "most immortals don't worry about cholesterol, especially after living on pop tarts."

"It only made me appreciate you more Madam Mayor," Emma quipped before taking a huge bite of the bear claw, the fact that Regina went bright red not going unnoticed.

Swallowing hard Emma asked, "so what business did you have to take care of?"

"It's not important anymore."

Moving closer Emma looked at her curiously, "so why was it important?"

Wondering why she would tell the Dark One this she replied, "I broke up with Robin...why are you smiling?"

"Because he's a tool," Emma replied, taking another bite.

"And why would that bother you, Miss Swan?" Regina asked.

"Because this way I don't have to beat him up," despite the horrible situation Regina couldn't help the laugh that came from her mouth.

"And how long have you wanted to do that?" she continued laughing.

"Since I met him, I'm just more likely to do it now," Emma couldn't help laughing along. Suddenly Regina stopped laughing and Emma looked at her curiously, "what's wrong?"

Regina stood, "I just remembered there's something I have to do."

Emma made to grab her arm, but the invisible barrier stopped her, "please, Gina, tell me."

"I can't do this Emma, I can't pretend that I'm talking to the real you while you look at me with those horrible gold eyes," Regina said, while looking anywhere but at her.

"You are talking to the real me," Emma pouted, and suddenly Regina's resolve disappeared, and she lunged forward, sealing their lips together. Emma pulled Regina down onto the couch, climbing into her lap, her tongue brushed her lips asking for invitation and Regina gave it almost instantly, as their tongues battled for dominance, Regina's hands came up to grip Emma's waist, eventually oxygen became a problem, and they parted.

Regina looked up at the still gold eyes, and disappointment came crashing down upon her, "I really have to go," she jumped up, almost throwing Emma off her lap.

Emma looked thoroughly confused as Regina left, and then noticing her bear claw had fallen on the inaccessible floor, she sighed "really?"

 **Reviews would be much appreciated XD**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Henry walked into the apartment, expecting both of his mothers to be there. After going to Granny's to get a snack after school, he had been filled in on what happened between his mom and Robin, and he had not been able to stop smiling all the way back to the apartment.

Upon entering, however, all he saw was a very grumpy looking Emma, who was clearly still prisoner to the couch.

"Did mom not come back?" he asked, Emma's scowl instantly deepened and Henry knew that something must have happened. "Where is she?"

"I wish I knew," she grumbled.

"Ma, what happened?"

Emma looked as if she was considering whether to answer the question, seeming to have decided against it she replied as she turned away from him, "find and ask her."

"Just tell me," Henry replied, moving closer to the couch.

"Can I ask you something first?" Emma said as she turned to face her son.

Henry nodded as he sat on the coffee table.

"Why did Snow and Charming think that Hook is my true love?"

"Because, you said you love him," Henry replied, as if that were obvious.

"You can love someone without them being your true love," she argued.

"So who do you think your true love is?" Henry asked, feeling his excitement raising.

"I was wrong, it doesn't matter," the blonde shrugged, as if she didn't care.

"So you don't want be the Dark One," he pointed out, his voice full of glee.

"Trust me kid, I very much do, but even an all-powerful being is entitled to doubts," Emma tried to give him her patented smirk, but it looked half-hearted. She half expected Rumple to appear with a comment, but she hadn't seen him since the kiss, not that she had actually thought through the implications of that while she was brooding.

"Okay, whatever you say, so who was it?"

"Regina," Emma mumbled.

"Yes!" Henry jumped up.

"Did you miss the part where I said it didn't work?" she grumbled.

"Mom said it's not a curse, so true loves kiss won't work."

"Then why did you plan for us to kiss?" Emma asked, she chuckled as Henry gave her a shocked look, she held up a piece of paper that she had found in the sofa cushions, that was titled 'Operation SwanQueen.'

Grabbing it he began to blush, "if I thought it would actually work I would have just kissed you."

"So why did you give Regina hope? She freaked out, apparently there's something wrong with my eyes."

"They are scary," Henry pointed out, "can't you change them, mom told me once that she loves green eyes."

"I tried," Emma mumbled.

"Wow you really suck at dark magic," Henry laughed.

"I've only been learning for like a day, changing eye colour was not a priority," she defended.

"Anyway that's not important, we need to get mom to stop freaking out."

"What's the point? It's not like love ever worked out for Rumple."

"Yeah but he couldn't put aside the darkness," Henry retorted.

"Easier said than done, kid. Just go and do some homework or something, you're boring me," Emma replied as she turned away from him, though Henry could tell that she was clearly upset.

He just hoped that someone would get rid of this darkness, the only obstacle left to Operation Swanqueen.

* * *

Regina sat in the mayoral office as she tried to loose herself in the mountain of paperwork that she had neglected.

Deciding to start from the bottom, she grabbed a form that she had received from the sheriff's station, asking for bear claws to be expensable, and she couldn't help the laugh of glee. Seeing the pouty face that Emma had drawn on the bottom of the form, she felt sadness fill her, thinking of the Dark One that now sat in the Charming's apartment.

She considered for a flitting moment whether it would be worth it to just join Emma, after all, who said that two villains can't get their happy ending together? But a moment later she remembered Henry, and, though she would never admit it, she actually enjoyed being friends with the 'two idiots'.

After kissing Emma, she had actually begun to feel like an idiot herself. After all she had said herself that true love's kiss wouldn't work, but that didn't stop the disappointment that she felt when she had failed to bring the Emma that she loved back.

Despite the fact that she legitimately enjoyed being around this new Emma, it wasn't the same as the pure joy that she would feel whenever the sheriff would show up unannounced to her office with lunch, or when she would show up at her house with a selection of DVD's that she said the queen had to watch. The more time she spent with the Dark One, the more she felt as if she truly would never get her happy ending.

She was distracted as Henry crashed into her office with a huge smile on his face.

Looking up, she gave him a scolding look, but before she could say anything he quickly said, "I know I'm not supposed to run in Town Hall, but it's not like I could walk after what I just found out."

Shaking her head, she simply pointed at the chair in front of her desk, which Henry nearly collapsed in as he tried to catch his breath.

"And what did you just find out?" she asked, having decided that the paperwork could wait forever if it had to.

"Emma told me what just happened!" he gave her a goofy smile.

"She what?" Regina asked, as her face started to turn red.

"Calm down, mom, it was all part of the plan," he smiled.

"So the operation did involve Emma," she gaped.

"Yeah, Operation Swanqueen," as Regina narrowed her eyes, Henry held up his hands, "what? It's better than Operation Anti-Dark One."

Scowling Regina asked, "and how was me not being her true love part of the plan."

"I thought it wasn't a curse," Henry teased, "you have to stop doubting yourself, mom. And definitely stop listening to grandma."

"And what about Hook?"

"I had to make sure you liked her, I swear Snow and Charming were the only ones that didn't see the burning jealousy."

"Okay, but you're forgetting that she's still the Dark One," Regina pointed out.

"I can't do everything, mom," he laughed.

"Not even any suggestions?" she asked desperately.

"Well, I have been thinking that if we accepted her the way she is, then maybe she will be able to put aside the darkness, Rumple was happy for a while right?"

"He screwed it up almost instantly," Regina replied darkly.

Henry frowned, but before he could reply Regina's phone began to ring, "hello."

"We have a problem," David's voice announced.

"Another one?" she asked.

"Well, I don't think Robin took the break-up very well, something about if you can be with the Dark One, why can't he be with the woman who is carrying his child? Why does he think that you're with Emma?" he asked.

Massaging her temple, "I'm not, and is that the problem you called me for?"

"Oh no, he broke Zelena out," he replied.

With a sigh she mumbled, "wonderful, I hope their very happy together."

"That's not it," he replied, the nerves evident in his voice.

"Let me guess, she wants to kill me again?" she asked.

"That's what we guessed, but she doesn't have any magic right? I mean she's no match for you," he asked.

"I'll be fine, Charming, besides we have bigger things to worry about," she replied.

* * *

"Okay," Charming clicked of the phone, and turned to his wife, who sat next to him in their booth at the diner, with Neal sleeping soundly in the car seat next to Snow. Honestly, neither of them was brave enough to go back to the apartment.

"Regina said there's nothing to worry about."

Snow half-heartedly smiled, but Charming could see the slight relief in her features.

Grabbing her hand, he reassured her, "everything will be fine, Snow."

Looking longingly at Neal, Charming could see the tears that were about to fall, "what about if she stays the Dark One?"

Ruby walked over, having been listening intently to the conversation, she decided it was time she voiced what she and Henry had been discussing. "You know maybe she can be your daughter and the Dark One," she suggested.

"She wants to kill us!" Snow pointed out.

"Then give her reason not to, show her you still love her. If you love her as much as you claim, surely the product of true love and the saviour can overcome the darkness," she replied.

"Don't you think we tried that?" Charming asked, indignant.

"Show her, don't tell her," Ruby smiled before sauntering away.

"I think she has a point," Snow pointed out.

"How are we supposed to show her?"

Snow shrugged her shoulders and at that moment Charming got a text.

"Archie lost Pongo again, I'll be right back," he quickly kissed his wife and left the diner with an exasperated sigh.

* * *

"Pongo!" he called, hoping that the stupid dog would have just walk up to him like he had the last ten times this had happened.

Suddenly he heard barking coming from a nearby alleyway, sighing he proceeded down it, and noticed the dog chained to a fence.

Charming furrowed his brow, wondering if Cruella was somehow alive, only to be hit straight in the face with a cross bow.

He fell unconscious as Robin emerged from the shadows; he grabbed the dagger that Charming had forgotten to give to Snow, from the pocket inside his jacket and handed it to Zelena.

"Thank you, darling," she smiled as she inspected the dagger. Her smile widened when she saw the name engraved upon it, "oh this will be much more fun than I could ever have imagined."

Back at the apartment Emma felt her magic restrictions break, and in a moment of what she thought of as weakness, she wondered if something had happened to her parents.

* * *

Robin bit his lip and guilt flooded through his system as he watched Zelena smirking at the dagger.

Raising from the tree stump that he was sat on, he asked, "what exactly are you planning to do to Regina?"

"Why do you care?" she sneered, "she broke your heart, why should it matter what happens to her?"

"She is still the aunt of our child," he shot back.

The red raised an eyebrow at him and said, "you are truly grasping at straws, aren't you? You broke me out of the institute because you knew that it was the best way to get back at her."

Swallowing hard, the blond man nodded and said in a somewhat small voice, "please just tell me what you want to do."

Zelena rolled her eyes and turned the dagger over to show the thief the name inscribed on it.

Robin shrugged and said, "I'm fully aware of what happened to Emma, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, dear Robbie, I was originally going to just have Rumple tear her limb from limb, but now I have the perfect opportunity to cause her more than simple physical pain. If you hadn't been so convinced that Regina was your soulmate, then you probably would have noticed just who she was truly interested in. Can you imagine what it would be like to have the woman you love more than anything be the person to end your life? She will die knowing that the saviour isn't strong enough, that she wasn't able to fight the darkness for her."

"I doubt that she loves Emma," Robin said bitterly while crossing his arms.

Zelena laughed at his defiance and just looked away from him, "believe me, she does even if she doesn't believe it herself. If they had ever been allowed to happen, the saviour and the Evil Queen would have made quite the nice little story, wouldn't you agree? But now the story will end with Emma being unable to stop herself from killing Regina and then living an eternity knowing that she will never find true love again."

Robin looked down at the ground and considered trying to grab the dagger and stopping this madness, but then he remembered the utter humiliation that he had suffered at the hands of his ex-girlfriend and his clenched his fists.

"Can we go now?"

"Someone's eager," the red head chuckled gleefully, "I suppose there would be no point in waiting any longer."

* * *

"You do understand that you are able to leave the apartment?" the spirit of the former Dark One asked.

Emma looked over her shoulder from her seat at the kitchen counter and then turned back to continue browsing the internet.

"You said yourself that patience is a virtue," she muttered.

Rumple rolled his eyes, the spirits of the previous Dark One's had often had to deal with trouble in the form of resistance, but never before had it come in the form of someone wanting to check their E-mails.

"You have a chance to go and fulfil your plan, you can be free of that dagger," he insisted.

"I don't particularly feel like rushing," she shot back.

The spirit rolled his eyes and was about to make a counterpoint when it seemed that he would get exactly what he wanted as the door slammed open.

Emma turned in her seat to see her out of breath parents and looked at them expectantly, "lose the dagger, did we?"

Snow looked at Charming, she was honestly shocked that their daughter had stayed in the apartment instead of coming straight after them. She objectively knew that it wasn't a good idea for them to come directly to her, but the blonde had a right to know what was going on.

"Why are you still here?" David breathed.

"Well, since you so unceremoniously trapped me on that couch, I wanted to simply take time to enjoy some luxuries," she sighed dramatically.

Snow decided to just move past how odd it was that the blonde seemed to act like the saviour they all knew and loved, but then was very prone to homicide at any given moment.

"But…Zelena has the dagger," she said in a small voice.

"She hasn't commanded me to do anything," she said dismissively, then a moment later, her eyes widened and she jumped off the stool, "Zelena?"

The pair nodded sheepishly and Emma let out a huff as she raised her hands in preparation to poof away.

Before she could complete the spell, however, David asked, "where are you going?"

"If I leave Storybrooke then she can't command me to do anything," the blonde said flatly.

"You can't leave!" Snow screeched, "you won't be able to come back."

"You won't be able to get your revenge if you leave," the spirit of Rumple said almost anxiously from behind her.

Emma shot him a look and knew instantly what she had to do, if she left, she would lose her power, but everyone would be safe. In moments of clarity, she could see that there wasn't really anyone in this town that she wished to hurt, but those clear moments were becoming few and far between.

"I have to leave," she said adamantly, resolutely ignoring Rumple's voice listing reasons that she had to stay.

Snow took a deep breath and replied, "you can't leave us, Emma, you're our daughter. Henry needs his mother...and the town needs its saviour."

Emma looked at the floor, she could feel that she was a moment away from just agreeing and allowing Zelena to do whatever she wanted.

What scared her the most in this moment was that she wasn't as afraid of losing all the people that she used to love as she was of losing her power.

Without looking up at them, she said, "the saviour died a month ago."

Before either parent could protest further, smoke engulfed the blonde as she took herself to town line.

Snow let out a devastated cry and made to launch herself forward, but stopped herself when she saw that it was already too late.

"She can't leave!" she shouted.

David placed both of his hands on her shoulders and tried to hold back tears at the prospect of having actually just lost his little girl.

"We have to go and help Regina," he said softly.

"We need to stop Emma," Snow protested.

"She's probably already gone; we'll find a way to bring her back. But right now, we need to help Regina."

* * *

"What do you think you're doing, dearie?"

Emma stopped an inch away from the town line and said through gritted teeth, "getting away from you!"

"What happened to not resisting the darkness?" the spirit shot back and giggled when it appeared that the blonde was physically incapable of leaving the town.

The blonde took a deep breath and did everything she could to move, but try as she might, she just wasn't strong enough.

Swallowing hard, she said, "I need to leave!"

"No, you need to get your revenge!" Rumple almost screamed. "They abandoned you, they deserve to suffer."

Emma tried to stop herself from agreeing with him, but she felt as if the darkness was moving through her veins. It was almost as if she was forgetting everything she knew before.

The happiness she felt whenever her father was protective was replaced by loathing for the man who had put her in the wardrobe.

The comfort she felt for the mother who would bring her hot cocoa if she was even slightly sad was replaced with detestation for woman who agreed to send her daughter alone to a world with no hope.

"You have been fighting this entire time," the spirit growled, "you thought you could trick me!"

"It kind of worked," Emma said weakly, trying not to think about the moment that he had got to her and she had finally snapped and come up with the plan to trick her parents.

What the spirit didn't know was that the first time she faced her mother as the Dark One, she hesitated before crushing her heart. If she had been completely sure about ending Snow White's life, then she would have already been dead for three weeks.

Since she had been trapped on the couch, she had felt herself gradually moving away from her fake embracement of the darkness, and she knew that this would be her final chance to defeat it.

"If you leave, you will no longer have any power. You will go back to being the weak little orphan, but this time, you will know that your family is just out of reach."

Emma took ragged breaths, trying to think of the family that she would be protecting if she simply took a step forward. However, more hate just flooded her system.

Finally, she fell backwards, away from the town line, and stared at the man contemptuously.

"You don't want to give up your power, face it," Rumple glowered.

Emma just nodded her agreement and then looked down at the ground in disgust at herself.

The next moment, she felt a command from across town and didn't even have time to huff before she was forced to poof herself to Regina's office.

 **Reviews are a great motivator ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**T/W for two major character deaths...**

Chapter six

Since their conversation Regina had sent Henry to the mansion, having come up with some pointless chore for him. Though she was not in the least afraid of Zelena she didn't want Henry involved, and since her sister's return she had placed protection charms around her home.

Her phone rang once again, rolling her eyes when she saw Charming on the ID, "I told you I'm fine," she answered.

Instead of the voice of the idiot, Ruby's voice came through the device, "Charming left his phone at the diner, but I think there's something you really need to know: Charming lost the dagger."

Rolling her eyes, Regina sighed, "who has it?"

"Zelena," Ruby replied in a nervous tone.

"No" the older brunette breathed.

"It's not that hard to believe, dear sister," Zelena's voice came from the entrance to the office, brandishing the dagger in a rather cocky manner.

Regina's hand relaxed in shock as she dropped her phone, with the faint sound of "Regina" coming from the device.

"Zelena, you know you can't win," the younger sister said as she narrowed her eyes and moved around her desk to face her head on.

"I won Robin," she laughed, as the man walked in behind her with his cross bow in hand.

"Not the best of prizes," Regina scathingly replied, giving her ex-boyfriend a death stare.

Waving the dagger Emma appeared in a cloud of dark smoke, as soon as she looked around she gave out a frustrated huff.

"Yes, I could feel you were trying to leave, what stopped you?" Zelena chuckled.

Emma looked down at the ground, trying to ignore the giggling of the spirit that only she could see.

"I wonder, what would be the most fun way to do this?" Zelena pondered after taking a moment to look at the blonde curiously.

"How about commanding me to kill you?" the Dark One suggested in a rough voice.

"Isn't the Dark One supposed to be smarter than that, I think I'll start small, break her arm!" she commanded.

Emma thought about resisting the command for a split second, but she looked across the room to see Rumple had already raised his hand as if he was performing the spell. As the sounding of cracking and Regina's scream filled the room, Emma visibly winced when she looked down at the hand that she hadn't felt herself lifting. Trying as she might though, she couldn't stop the thrill that ran through her body at being able to use her power.

The red-head laughed joyously as she saw her sister clutching her arm tightly, clearly desperate to not let out any form of whimper.

"Hmm," Zelena began to pace as she went through the possibilities, "shoot her," she commanded Robin.

As he held up his cross bow without hesitation, Charming appeared in the doorway, he grabbed it without warning, and punched the thief to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Picking up the weapon, he pointed it straight at Zelena.

A second later Snow appeared behind her husband, boosting her patented bow and arrow, also pointed at the Wicked Witch.

Each of their eyes fell upon the blonde and they exchanged a quick look of shock.

On the one hand, they were both more than relieved that she hadn't left town, but on the other, they knew that she had plenty of time to have done so by now. Since she had so obviously changed her mind, it didn't seem as if the saviour, who would give up her life for anyone, was with them any longer.

Zelena looked at Emma's stoic face and continued to laugh "how heart-warming, dear Charmings. It was truly an impressive display. It would appear as though, however, that your little saviour is no longer capable of any form of gratitude," looking between the blond and brunette, her smirk deepened when she saw that they agreed, after a moment, she commanded, "disarm them."

Waving her hand again, the Charming's went flying in opposite directions each hitting the wall hard. As her parents slumped to the ground, the blonde considered that she should be feeling some form of guilt, but she now felt that she could feel was shame for wanting the power so badly, mixed with a growing sense of indifference. She was beginning to have thoughts that were much darker than any she'd had in the past month. Like if she was immortal, why should she care what happens to these people? As soon as they die, they will no longer be of any use to her, so what would be the point of wasting time resisting the Wicked Witch's commands?

The witch turned to the whimpering former-queen who was cradling her now painfully misshapen arm, "you know all of this has made me feel merciful, kill her."

Emma felt a silent command, as a sword appeared in her hand.

She truly wanted to resist, but she no longer saw any reason in doing so. Even if Regina did love her back, what future could they possibly have?

She could be truly happy for some time, sure, but what would happen when Regina began to age? Then when the brunette died, she would be alone and heartbroken. Centuries from now, she wondered whether she would even bother sparing a thought to the little town where she had become the Dark One.

Closing her eyes against the small part of her mind telling her that discard these dark thoughts, she decided to completely throw her resistance aside and walked forward and slashed the blade.

When she got a very un-Regina-like squeak in response, she opened her eyes and quirked her eyebrow as she saw that she had attacked the wrong brunette.

Blood stained her mother's shirt, she looked into her daughter's green eyes intently, looking for some kind of humanity. Any sign that she felt what she had just done was wrong, but she received nothing but a blank gaze as she fell to the ground, clutching her wound.

"Idiot," the Dark One muttered, wishing she had been allowed to do that without the dagger forcing her to, looking over the unconscious Charming she figured that she always had another shot to enjoy it.

Hearing slow clapping she turned to see Zelena walking slowly, "quite the impressive show, very heart warming," just she was about to lift the dagger, Emma raised her hands.

"If you stop this moronic pursuit of revenge, I'll make a deal with you," she said flatly.

Considering this for a moment, the witch replied, "and what do you want?"

"If you never hurt Regina or Henry again I will give you anything that you want," she suggested, figuring that it was the most believable thing.

Looking at her sister, who had fallen to Snow's side, she answered "and why would I agree to that?"

"What's your plan after this? I can give you anything that you want, as long as it doesn't hurt Regina or Henry, I can make you forget everything about Regina, you can live happily with Robin if you want to," Emma replied.

Looking distastefully at the unconscious thief, "he's not much of a prize is he?"

"Anything then," Emma shrugged.

"I will have to think about this," Zelena answered, "but I will agree to your terms until I have made my decision. You will have to come with me though Dark One," she laughed as she commanded Emma to take them both to her farm house.

As Emma and Zelena disappeared Regina asked Snow in a shaky voice, "why would you do that?"

"She would never be able to live with herself if she killed you," Snow replied, desperately trying to breathe, only to have shaky rattling breaths come out. She had a feeling that wasn't strictly true anymore, but she knew that the daughter she loved would have thanked her for what she had just done.

"The Emma that I know would not be able to live with herself if you die," Regina replied, for the first time in a while feeling tears coming down her cheeks.

"I don't think that Emma exists anymore," Snow said sadly.

"I refuse to believe that," Regina answered, bringing her unbroken arm up she hovered her hand over Snow's wound, feeling her magic come forward she managed to stop it from bleeding, but found that she didn't have the strength to do much else.

Charming woke up to see Snow on the floor and Emma and Zelena nowhere in sight, "call an ambulance," he heard Regina say, just as she fell unconscious.

* * *

"So tell me Dark One, why are you so intent on saving my dear sister?" Zelena asked curiously, as she waved the dagger around mockingly.

Emma sat on one of the stools looking up at the witch contemptuously, "that's my business," she answered.

"Have it your way," she muttered. "I will never understand why immortal beings insist on becoming so compromised with feelings," she continued.

"Again, my business," Emma replied, clearly Zelena was incapable of seeing just how uncompromised she was in this moment, "will you hurry up and make your decision?"

"But there's so many things that I can ask for, this is not a decision to be rushed," Zelena sneered.

"I disagree, I think it's something you should do quickly before I decide to cripple you," Emma replied.

"Good luck with that," she glowered as she waved the dagger again, before a huge smile spread across her face, "I've made my decision. You will do everything I say until the day I die."

"You already have dagger," Emma pointed out with an exasperated sigh.

"Yes, but it's not the easiest thing to keep hold of, just ask your dearest father," she chuckled, as Emma rolled her eyes.

"But you still can't command me to hurt Regina or Henry in anyway, what's the point?"

"This way I can get everything that I want until the day that I die," she laughed at her own genius.

Looking at her sceptically, "here's hoping that very soon," Emma muttered as she clicked her fingers, a contract appearing in her hands. "Sign this and I will always do anything you say, but you can't command me to hurt Regina or Henry, and you can't physically do anything that will directly or indirectly harm them. Also you have to give me the dagger."

"Why?" Zelena asked.

"Because it's mine," Emma insisted.

Shrugging Zelena threw the dagger towards her, but just before she could sign the contract Emma blasted her back against the wall, "you know I'm really starting to feel like I'm the smartest person in this town."

A moment later she plunged her hand into the witch's chest, withdrawing her heart she applied pressure.

"Please don't, I promise I won't hurt Regina," Zelena begged.

"I don't care about Regina anymore," Emma replied, as she turned her heart to dust, Zelena fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. The Dark One smiled at her work; waving her hand she sent the Wicked Witches body to the morgue.

* * *

A few hours later, Snow woke up for surgery, and the reality of what happened came crashing down upon her, Ruby's suggestion hadn't worked.

Looking around she noticed that she was in a shared room with Regina laying in the other bed, her arm in a sling.

Sighing in relief she felt a pain in her chest and guessed that she must have some pretty extensive stitching, she also noticed that Charming smiling at her from the plastic chair next to her bed, and Henry asleep in the one next to Regina's.

The moment of silence was broken by the door opening, Rumple limped in followed by Belle.

"Rumple?" Regina asked, Snow looked over, shocked not having realised that she was even awake.

"I couldn't find a solution to your problem," he admitted.

"So why are you here?" Regina scowled.

"I did find a way to rid this town of the Dark One forever," he replied.

"I told you that we don't want Emma dead," Regina barked.

"This will prevent the dark energy from ever entering another mortal body," he tried to convince her.

"I thought you said you couldn't solve our problem?" Snow said meekly.

"There will be some collateral damage," he allowed.

"As in?" Regina asked.

"Well in order for this to work the darkness needs to be tethered to a mortal soul, or it will just get out again."

"And what is this plan?" Regina asked.

"The hat," he said, as if it were obvious.

"That's how this whole mess started," she pointed out angrily.

"Yes, you were trying to save my body, if you would have absorbed me into it than the Dark One would have been trapped," he answered.

"But Emma is centuries away from having a completely blackened heart," Regina argued.

"I don't believe that is true, as she absorbed the pure darkness I believe that her heart had been instantly blackened, she took the darkness from my heart. The moment she takes a life she will be only the Dark One. You and I both know that we cannot know allow that, for all intents and purposes she died the moment she took in the darkness, much like you would have."

"She hasn't taken a life," Snow pointed out somewhat weakly. She just didn't want to admit that she was seconds away from agreeing with the plan because she had already begun mourning her daughter after the second time she had tried to kill her.

"For the safety of this town she needs to be contained," he replied, handing the hat to Regina, "I hope you make the right choice your majesty."

Regina stared down at the hat as Rumple left and waited for one of the Charmings to leap to the defence of their daughter, but to her surprise, the room remained silent. That was until Doctor Whale came running in.

"What's wrong?" Charming asked.

"Zelena, she just appeared in the morgue, she's dead," he breathed.

Snow felt tears threatening to fall and turned to Regina, she said in an barely audible whisper, "you have to do it."

"You're giving up!" Charming asked.

"David, our little girl has been dead for a while, we have to protect the town," she replied, a stream of tears now falling.

"You can't kill my mom," Henry jumped up from his seat.

"I'm sorry Henry but she's already gone," Regina grabbed his arm with tears in her eyes, "you know Emma wouldn't want to live in complete darkness forever, she would want us to protect ourselves."

"But...she's the saviour she can fight it!" he tried desperately.

"I'm sure she's been fighting this every moment of everyday, but a mortal can't defeat this, not even Emma," Regina replied, as she pulled him into a one armed hug.

Just as she said this she noticed dark smoke bellowing as the Dark One appeared. This time there was no semblance of the saviour left, no emotion, not even a hint of her, just that infuriating smirk.

"I've been waiting far too long to do this," she laughed as she held up a gun, pointing it straight at Charming.

Regina saw anger cross her son's face, as he ran across the room without warning, grabbing the dagger from Emma's belt and throwing it to Regina, "do it," he shouted as Emma frozen him in place too late to get her dagger.

Growling frustration Emma held the gun in front of Henry's face, ready to get rid of the irritating boy, but he disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke as Regina waved her hand.

Emma turned to see the queen standing, having already activated the hat, taking one last look at what was left of Emma, she thrust the hat forward, and within seconds the Dark One found herself in an eternal prison.

* * *

Two years later Regina and Henry walked together through the graveyard, moving up to the tombstone that read 'Emma Swan- Beloved mother, daughter, sister and saviour, may she rest in peace.'

Though they didn't have a body to bury, at the funeral they held, everyone had thrown something that reminded them of Emma into the coffin, Henry had thrown in his story book, Regina threw in the red jacket. Snow and David had put in many pictures and mementos, Charming had even placed his sword in there, apparently he could never wield it knowing that he never got to officially give to his daughter.

Placing flowers with the many that were already there, it was the anniversary after all, Henry sat crossed legged in front of it and ran his hand over the name, he shook his head, "I still can't believe she's gone."

"It feels like a bad dream doesn't it?" Regina replied.

"Do you think you'll ever get your happy ending?" Henry asked after few moments silence.

"If it's not with her, I don't want it," she smiled sadly.

After another moment's silence Regina noticed the Charming's walking over, she smiled weakly at Snow and Charming and gave Neal a quick hug.

Neal quickly sat next to Henry, and looked up at him expectantly, "which one do you want to hear now?" Henry asked.

"Tell me how she killed a dragon," he answered.

 **A/N As always I need to thank my beta QueenApples XD**

 **I would love to hear what you thought of this and I started a sequel called 'Into the Hat' but I kind of lost interest in it. If you guys are interested in more of this universe let me know and I'll try and revamp/finish the sequel XD**


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